Sunday, June 30, 2013

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK - African Americans have made and continue to
make significant contributions to the field of classical music as
conductors, composers, musicians and educators.

However, that
historic legacy is often overshadowed by their contributions to other,
more widely popular music generes such as hip hop, rap, rhythm and
blues, jazz and gospel.

The Gateways Music Festival in Rochester is seeking to close that
public awareness gap by shining the spotlight on classically-trained
musicians of African descent and broadening the audience and community
arenas of classical music as much as possible.

Gateways will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding at this
year's festival. Youth and adult musicians will come to Rochester from
throughout the United States to participate August 14 through August
18.

"Rochester has a long and strong history of arts and culture, however
the presence of people of African descent in the field of classical
music is extremely limited," said William Lewis, president of the board
of directors of Gateways Music Festival, Inc. "Gateways was created to
address that concern."

Barbara Jones, co-chairperson of the GMF Planning Committee,
elaborated further about that limitation. "The participation, either on
stage or in the audience of African Americans in classical music
performance is almost non-existent," she said.

That is why "Gateways is a unique program that is not duplicated by
any other arts organization and that increases the presence and
performance opportunities of African Americans in classical music, " she
said.

Armenta Adams Hummings, a concert pianist and graduate of the Juilliard
School in New York City, founded Gateways in 1993 in Winston Salem,
North Carolina.

Mrs. Hummings' vision was not only to make the
broader community aware of the talents of musicians of African descent,
but to make classical music more accessible, especially to people who,
because of economic, social or other circumstances may never have
attended a classical music event.

All of the Gateways Music Festival events and solo, chamber and
orchestral concerts are free and open to the public. They are held in
various venues throughout the city of Rochester ranging from schools,
and houses of worship to concert halls..

Another part of Mrs. Hummings' vision of "opening the gates of
classical music" was to provide inspiration and role models for young
musicians of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Her vision is captured in the stated mission of Gateways Music Festival, Inc.

The Gateways Music Festival was held in North Carolina in 1993 and
1994. After Mrs. Hummings moved to Rochester to accept a position with
the Eastman School of Music, the festival has been held biennially since
1995 in Rochester in collaboration with the Eastman School.

A former associate professor of music at Eastman, Mrs. Hummings
stepped down as president and artistic director of Gateways at the end
of the 2009 festival season. She remains festival advisor.

Some 500
musicians have participated in the Gateways Music Festival since its
founding. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and experience
levelsm ranging from current and recent graduates of the nation's top
conservatories and music schools to experienced and established
musicians with major solo and/or orchestra careers with musical
organizations such as the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, the
Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philaharmonic and the Detroit
Symphony.

From audience surveys collected at each Gateways concert, this picture
emerged in 2011 from the self-reported demographics of festival
audiences: 45 percent African American, 45 percent Caucasian, 3 percent
Hispanic and 7 percent other. Adults made up 86 percent and 14 percent
were young people 17 years old or younger.

About 5,000 people attended Gateways festival concerts and events in
2011. Festival organizers hope attendance will be even larger this year.

Another
thing that makes Gateways unique is that is has no paid staff. More
than 200 volunteers work to make the festival successful. The 501(c)3,
not-for-profit organization relies on grants, individual and corporate
donations and in-kind assistance to meet festival expenses.

Among the festival expenses is a small stipend Gateways provides to the
musicians, many of whom forego more lucrative assigments in order to
participate in the festival.

Gateways is described as a "giving back to the community" program. And in that sense, even the musicians are "volunteers."

Michael Morgan, music director and conductor of the Oakland East Bay
Symphony Orchestra in California, who was music director and conductor
for the 2011 Gateways Music Festival, returns this year.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Composer Matthew Rooke sends a SoundCloud sample of soprano Gweneth-Ann Jeffers performing three pieces from Flyting: a Concert Suite with a total time of 13:12, (01) Mungo's Journey, (02) At Boussa Falls, (03) Flyting segue into The Waterfall:

Flyting: a Concert Suite by Matthew Rooke

Dear William given your interest in Africans in classical music, I thought you might be interested in hearing something from Scotland.

This work also features the fine black soprano Gweneth-Ann Jeffers alongside distinguished Scottish Bass, Donald Maxwell.

Jeffers has risen through the ranks of the Royal Opera House's Young
Artists' Programme and sings one of the best song-cycles of the 20th
century, Messiaen's Harawi. Show off to your neighbours pondering the
funny words amid the French by telling them that they're in the Quechua
language, from Peru.

February 28, 2013: Dominique-René de Lerma wrote of a Black Music broadcast on Bill McLaughlin's Exploring Music: "The CD of Natalie Hinderas was welcomed back for Hale Smith's Evocation.
Time did not allow a richer exploration of this classic figures' output -- his Ritual
and incantations being even more evocative."Comments by email:Thank you so much for the remembrance. Juanita [Juanita Smith]

Hey, Bill: Thanks for the link. I celebrated Hale Smith’s 88th birthday via a poem I wrote and read at a poetry reading ziz curated. When I get a chance, I’ll send it to you. All the best… Peace, Regina [Regina Harris Baiocchi]

A sensational world-renowned pianist, William
Chapman Nyaho, is set to serenade lovers of jazzy and piano music in a
rollicking concert dubbed “An evening with Nyaho.”

The concert
which is in collaboration with ChorkorHeights and Old Achimotan
Association is scheduled to take place at Sweetie’s Lounge in Airport
Hills off Flower Pot junction, Spintex Road on Sunday June 30, 2013 and
Monday July 1, 2013.

Chapman, a Ghanaian American resident in
Seatle, USA, is ready to serve his Ghanaian audience and fans with his
repertoire of solid, soothing, sumptuous, selection of music.

...

Nyaho’s recitals will feature music primarily by composers of African descent including those from European composers.

He
will also perform music by West African composers such as Joshua
Uzoigwe and Fred Onovwerosuoke using indigenous musical practices and
melding it with the western cultural musical practices.

Chapman
will also serve patrons with composition from the Caribbean, such as
Oswald Russell, and African American composers such as Florence Price.

Birch Creek continues its Symphony session with Faye Seeman, featured harp soloist, performing William Grant Still’s Ennanga
during the Power of Transformation concerts on June 28 and June 29.
Other featured repertoire by the Birch Creek Symphony Orchestra includes
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 77 by Brahms.

On July 4,
the Birch Creek Symphony Orchestra celebrates “An American Birthday”
during its annual Pops Concert Event. The annual free pie and ice cream
social begins at 5:30 pm and features freshly baked Door County apple
and cherry pies with ice cream, all donated by local Birch Creek
supporters.

Upcoming Events for the Vivian G. Harsh SocietyThe 16th Annual Black Music Month BreakfastExcellence in Music and Community ServiceTheme: "Music: A Pathway to Civility"Saturday, June 29, 20139:00 – 11:30 amDoors open at 8:30amApostolic Church of God Banquet Hall6320 South Dorchester Avenue, Chicago, ILTickets: $40 each

A
stellar list of Chicago leaders will be honored, including Renee
Baker, composer, former
director and curator of
the Chicago Sinfonietta Chamber Ensemble, who will receive the
Charles E. Walton Award. Baker, who is also Director of CMOP, the
Chicago Modern Orchestra Project and Mantra Blue Free Orchestra, will
serve as keynote speaker. Jashed Fakhrid-Deen, chair of mathematics
and the CIS Department at Harold Washington College, will serve as
guest speaker.

Baker
will focus her address on the "The
Spellbinding Effect of Black Womenin
Music". Noted
for her masterful improvisation, Baker has utilized some of the
finest classical musicians the world has known as well as jazz greats
and crafted a group of the best traditionalists and married them to
dedicated improvisers. She has performed and recorded with Nicole
Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble, Karl E. H. Seigfried's New Quartet
and Galaxy String Quartet, the David Boykin Expense, Orbert Davis,
George Lewis, Mwata Bowden, the
Great Black Music Ensemble, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and the
Chicago Jazz Orchestra. She is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the
Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

The composer and pianist George Walker was born in Washington, D.C. June 27, 1922, is featured atAfriClassical.comand has a website athttp://georgetwalker.com/ He made history in 1996 as the first African-American Pulitzer Prize Winner in Music.

Peter Nelson-King writes Re-Composing.blogspot.com. On Wednesday, April 17, 2013 he posted: George Walker - a Self-Styled "Great American Composer", in which he writes at length of the composer's works. He notes: "Walker
initially gained fame as a piano prodigy, entering Oberlin Conservatory
at age 14, moving to Curtis Institute of Music and eventually getting
his doctorate from Eastman School of Music."

George
Walker has recorded prolifically; ArkivMusic.com lists 27 CDs under
his name. An impressive number are devoted entirely to his
compositions, as is the case for George Walker: Great American
Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 (2012). The composer's most recent
release is his first on the Delos Music label, and was released just
a month ago, on May 28, 2013: Our American Roots: Gershwin,
Barber, Walker, Copland; Delos 3449.

ArkivMusic.com
calls the disc "A varied program of seldom-heard American
cello sonatas and well-crafted arrangements of beloved musical
Americana."

Imagine watching young students pick up their very first musical instrument as a smile spreads across their face; in the Sphinx Overture program, this uplifting sight is seen each day and your gift will ensure this continues into 2014!

Limited 1:1 matching funds provided by The Ford Foundation are available starting at midnight tonight, so please support Sphinx on June 27th by giving online at the following link: http://power2give.org/go/p/2082

We wanted to share the following news from
Abyssinian Development Corporation, one of the country’s most influential and accomplished community development non-profits. On Wednesday, June 19th,
as part of the
annual HARLEM RENAISSANCE DAY OF COMMITMENT—a gathering of top
business, cultural and community leaders making an impact in NYC and
around the world—more than 600 distinguished leaders in the African
American community gathered to focus on the need to protect
and support every child’s right to a high-quality education.

The
following were recognized by Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III and
presented with prestigious Abyssinian Development Corporation
Renaissance Awards—each award was a work
of art created by children from the Thurgood Marshall Academy in Harlem, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year:

AUDIENCE
- Cast your vote for the opera stars of tomorrow! Join one of the most
exciting events of the season as music industry professionals judge
gifted and talented emerging and professional singers on the standard
techniques of the classical voice and overall performance.

Finalists
receive performance opportunities to develop a repertoire for the
international opera stage. Winners of the College Division (ages 18-22)
and Professional Division (ages 23-35) receive Judges' and Audience
Choice Awards.

Musical interludes by members of The Harlem Chamber Players--violinist Ashley Horne and pianist Erasmia Voukelatos.

It
is with great sadness to report the death of Dr.
Carl G. Harris,
who from 1971-1984 served as Director of Choral Activities at
Virginia
State Universityand
organist at Historic Gillfield
Baptist Church,
both in Petersburg, Virginia. Harris was respected in the music
community as an outstanding organ soloist, accompanist and for his
collegial spirit.

...

Carl
G. Harris, Jr. was born in Fayette, Missouri. He attended public
schools in St. Joseph, Missouri and graduated from Bartlett High
School with honors. He received the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music
(Cum Laude) from Philander Smith College, Master of Arts Degree in
Music History from the University of Missouri, and the Doctor of
Musical Arts Degree in Conducting from the Conservatory of Music,
University of Missouri at Kansas City. In addition, he did further
study at Westminster Choir College and Vienna State Academy of Music.

In
2005, he was named Minister of Music Emeritus of the illustrious Bank
Street Memorial Baptist Church in Norlfolk, Virginia where he served
for 21 years. The glorious anthem, “Shout For Joy” by Adolphus
Hailstork was
composed for expressly for his choir there and was affectionately
referred to as the “Bank Street Anthem.”

Mary Sutton of Portland, Oregon made this post in the Guest Book at AfriClassical.com today, June 24, 2013:I am happy to announce that I am working with composer Emahoy Tsegue Maryam Guebrou to begin archiving and publishing her complete sheet music, as reported at Tadias magazine.http://www.tadias.com/06/03/2013/emahoy-sheet-music-project-launched/I hope to connect with others who are interested in this great composer!Project Email:Etmgproject@gmail.com

New York (TADIAS) – Mary Sutton who studies piano
performance at Portland State University in Oregon came across the work
of the legendary pianist and composer Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, having
listened to volume 21 of the Ethiopiques CD series released in 2006, which featured 16 of the Jerusalem-based Ethiopian nun’s original pieces.

Mary grew up playing piano and is a graduate of the New England
Conservatory. She recently told Tadias that she was immediately drawn to
Emahoy’s “unique” sounds before realizing that there was no published
sheet music of her compositions available for other pianists to play.
That was prior to her trip to Israel in April to meet with Emahoy, who
gave her the permission to create one.

...

Returning to Jerusalem this summer to begin the process of readying
the manuscripts for publication, Mary shared that she is currently
raising funds on Kickstarter for the project. “This Kickstarter is just
the beginning of a lifetime of a work which has fallen into my hands,”
she noted via the online platform. “And as all of Emahoy’s music serves a
charitable purpose, I will not be getting paid.”

Emahoy, who was ordained a nun at the age of 21 at the Guishen Mariam
monastery in the Wollo region, moved to Jerusalem in 1984 at the height
of the military Derg regime in Ethiopia. However, that was not her
first forced exile from her country. According to the Emahoy Music
Foundation, she was taken as a prisoner of war by the Italians in 1937
and deported along with her family “to the island of Asinara, north of
Sardinia, and later to Mercogliano near Naples.”

Emahoy was born “Yewubdar Gebru” in Addis Abeba on December 12, 1923
to a privileged family; her father was Kentiba Gebru, mayor of Gonder
and vice president of Ethiopia’s first parliament under Emperor Haile
Selassie. Her mother was Kassaye Yelemtu. “Yewubdar was sent to
Switzerland at the age of six along with her sister Senedu Gebru,” the
foundation notes on its website. “Both attended a girls’ boarding school
where Yewubdar studied the violin and then the piano. She gave her
first violin recital at the age of ten. She returned to Ethiopia in 1933
to continue her studies at the Empress Menen Secondary School.”

...

It was five years ago this summer, on July 12, 2008, that Emahoy,
then 85-years-old, gave a rare public presentation at the Jewish
Community Center in Washington, D.C., playing live for the first time in
35 years. “Her extraordinary performance was viscerally and emotionally
moving,” wrote Makeda Amha, her great niece, in an article published in
Tadias Magazine following the concert. “Her astounding ability as a
classical pianist and her skill to warmly express “Reverie,” was a
pleasure to listen to, as was “Presentiment,” a sweet, poetic Sonata in
B-Flat Major.”

Well, we have come to the last day of our Australian tour, a travel day back to the good old U. S. of A.
The plan was to leave at 7:30 PM, however two choir members were still in the bed at 7:30. This delayed us about 25 minutes, which was not a great start to the day. We had a similar group check in that we had going to Melbourne, however, the check-in was based on a strict schedule. We barely made it. Every bag made it safely on board. To put into perspective, we had a group of 35 arrive for an international flight under one hour before departure. Whew! We could have still been in Melbourne, Australia, however, I believe that this was the good favor that we have had during every step of this journey.
We said our final good-byes to Udo Jungmann who was an exceptional tour guide. When we first saw Udo, we believed that he was an Australian, however, he is from Germany. English was his second language. He spoke English remarkably well, without any German accent, but an assimilated Australian accent. We will miss Udo for his calm resolve and sense of humor.
To give you a sense of the timing of our day. Upon departure to Australia on June 10, we lost 14 hours of our lives due to flying against the world time zones. Today, we regained those 14 hours. In other words, today we had ourselves a 38 (24+14)hour day. We left our hotel at 7:30 AM on Friday, which was 5:30 PM Thursday morning Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time. Our flight from Melbourne to Sydney was a short one hour. Our flight from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth was an exhausting15 hours. Our flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to BWI was 3 hours. We arrived in Baltimore at 8:45 PM. All in all, we had over 27 hours of travel time.
Fortunately, we travelled on a very fine Qantas airlines. Their service was exceptional. Always enjoying a good gadget, you will notice a photo of an Apple iPad on the back of every chair as the movie and in-flight monitoring system - very cool. If you are wondering if they might walk, there was a sensor on each device that much like a department store, would go off if left the plane, not to mention GPS tracking normally on iPads.
I wish that I could say that no one lost any luggage, but alas, it was not until BWI, the last leg of our journey, did a choir member lose any luggage. Qantas fulfilled their contract by delivering the luggage to the Texas airport. However, after reclaiming luggage after international customs declaration, and resubmitting to baggage claim through American airlines, one choir member's luggage did not make it - and it was HOT PINK! I am sure that the airline will deliver tomorrow.
It felt so very good to arrive at BWI. We felt a sense of pride as we walked through the airport, glancing at a marketing piece for the university - Experience Morgan State Univeristy: Growing the Future, Leading the World!
What a grand tour this has been to Australia! Many who have travelled on other trips with the choir said that this was the best, the best on so many levels. The shadow group who paid to accompany the choir said that they would travel with the choir again, in a heartbeat! The accommodations and included meals were first-rate. The tours taken to major sites were informative and interesting. And most importantly, the choir sang well and made a lasting impression on Australia. Through every concert, there were always several persons in tears. Andrew Wailes, the director of the Melbourne University Choral Society told me that he has never cried as much as he did when he heard our group sing the Battle Hymn! What a strong message we bring to the world when we travel. In the best Fisk Jubilee Singers tradition, Morgan is carrying our message to the world in song. We believe that we are truly Baltimore's, Maryland's and the United States' best Ambassadors. As the Melbourne theme for our joint concert so appropriately proclaimed we "Let the Light Shine!"
My only regret on this tour was the fact that I could not take more choir members abroad. This was very expensive, and we could only afford to take a choir of 20 voices. This begs the rhetorical question - how many choir members do you need to make a representative sound. Although many said that the number that I had sounded like 60 voices, the blend would have been better had I not had only 2 persons on a part when we broke into many parts. Additionally, there were so many deserving choir members who would have loved to go, however, it is simply a matter of economics. I tried to balance taking some seniors who have graduated with some newer voices who have never traveled with the choir. Many, as with every tour, are not happy with the fact that they did not make the list. At the end of the day, this is a very difficult decision for me, but I guess this comes with the position.
For those of you who are English professors and very literate, please forgive any mistakes in grammar, typos, or lack of clarity. I must confess that there were nights that I did not feel like continuing these reports, but knew that I had to finish what I had started. I knew that there were many vicariously traveling to Australia through these reports - some call it a blog.
Finally, see links below to photos and videos of the concerts. All may not be posted until the weekend, but return and you will be able to see and/or download. I have taken over 1000 photos and must decide on what to share.
Signing off Alla Aussie ease,
Cheerio!
Photos link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rb3i1hcotibw6ry/aq9iuCMxZr
Videos link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/60ivg3nwcg6nsi3/tF1ws-ykIw

Renowned Ethiopian pianist and composer Girma Yifrashewa gave us a
surprise performance last Sunday at our latest Habesha Nights Ethiopian
dinner party in Bushwick, BK. It was a magical moment as he performed
Chopin while we conducted the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. The sultry
sounds of piano mixed with the sizzle and intense aroma of roasting
coffee. A truly unique and Ethiopian experience.

If
you live near, or will be near STEINWAY PIANO GALLERY in Paramus, New
Jersey on July 12 you are invited to a concert that I will be playing at
7pm on that date. See the attached flyer for details. I'd love to see
you there.

This will be our last remaining complete day in Australia! Our morning
is somewhat free to do as we please, with the last group lunch at
12:30PM.

Many of us were once again, trying to get
those last minute souvenirs of Australia. Melbourne has a relatively
small center city area. Given that our hotel was in the center of town,
one could walk to most sites of intrigue. If one did not choose to
walk, one could take a taxi at prices less than Sydney, or a free public
transportation system that circled the entire shopping downtown retail
district. We found this city to be incredibly tourist friendly.
Several of us decided to take the bus to the market, however, this was
an adventure trying to determine which bus to take and/or when to get
off.

Melbourne had a similar market to Sydney
run by the Chinese population. As large as the market appeared in
Sydney, the Melbourne Queen Victoria Market was twice as large with much
more variety. Many were so taken with this market, we barely made it
back to the hotel to walk to our lunch site.

As
this was our last day, a group meal on a river boat was planned. This
turned-out to be a perfect way to spend the last day, i.e. riding on a
river boat seeing all the downtown sites on a slow almost-barge.
Melbourne reminded us in so many ways of European cities like Prague,
Paris, St. Petersburg Russia. These are all cities that sit on rivers
that are critical to the industry of the country. We all commented on
how little debris was in the water, despite being a major metropolitan
center. Our only comment was that the water seemed very brown in color.
We were told that this was because of the sediment in the mountains,
not because of dirt. The captain of the boat agreed that this was the
cleanest river he had aver travelled on of any major city. By the way,
this was the Yarra River.

We had another
excellent meal. We were given several choices of beef, chicken, pork or
vegetarian. Our tour guide Udo Jungmann had been exceptional to our
group, always responding to our wishes as much as possible in the
context of a scripted itinerary. We all took up a collection for his
extraordinary service. I made the presentation on behalf of the group.

Upon
our return to the dock, which was only a 3 minute walk from the hotel,
we had a few hours to relax and to begin to pack, as we would leave the
following day early in the morning.

Our final
concert this evening was at St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral. I found out
from Andrew Wailes, that there was much excitement in the community for
our concert this evening. The concert was to begin at 8:30, which is
late by most standards, much due to a church service finishing up at
6PM. We could not begin any sooner due to needing time to build and set
up the risers, platforms, and lights for the concert. We all met at
6:30 PM to have a last minute rehearsal. Again, this was a joint concert
with the Melbourne Choral Arts Society and the Morgan State Univeristy
Choir.

This concert site was remarkable. We
had a chorus of over 150 voices. Melbourne, is the cultural city of
Australia, despite the Sydney Opera House. This city boast over 17
orchestra and over 50 professional and amateur choruses. Our concert
this evening was virtually sold-out, Although cathedrals are notorious
for their very reverberant acoustics, the St. Paul's choral sound was
surprisingly good. Although Melbourne's St. Patrick's cathedral is
larger and taller, this cathedral boasts the longest nave in Australia,
long and then, which may be why the sound was more focused.

The
concert opened up with remarks by the director of the host choir,
Andrew Wailes. His comments were followed by Melbourne's Consul General
of the United States, Mary Burce Warlick who extended every courtesy to
our president and university. The first half of the program was all
Morgan. We give a 35 minute first half. We finished our first half
with our signature - Battle Hymn, led by recently graduated Thomas
Allen. The entire cathedral of over 1000+ individuals were on their
feet giving our choir their plaudits.

After a
brief intermission, both choirs gathered to present the second half of
the concert. The first three selections were conducted by me. The
three American pieces that I sent ahead for them to learn for our joint
presentation were: Steal Away, Precious Lord and With My Whole Heart.
What an experience to see people of another culture embrace our music.
Many have never sung music that was so spirited or moving. When I was
conducing, many had their eyes closed in total absorption of the music.
At the end of the evening, many Australian choristers said that they
loved having me conduct them. They felt so encouraged to sing their
hearts. The smiles were extraordinary.

Andrew
Wailes, conducted the final piece Morden Laruidsen's Lux Aeternam. The
Luridsen is a significant piece in the classical contemporary choral
literature. He conducting it well. The sound was amazing with over 150
voices, black and white, singing in a beautiful European styled
cathedral. This venue was made for the Lauridsen. At the conclusion,
we jointly bowed for the concert and publicly presenting gifts
symbolizing our love and admiration for each other. At the conclusion,
we were asked to sing two encores. Moses Hogan's The Battle of Jericho
and a choice that on the surface may not have seemed most appropriate -
God Bless America! In the context that Australia and America have been
allies since the beginning of Australian's political existence, and
since this event was in part hosted by the American Consulate, it seemed
to make sense. At the conclusion, everyone, who stilled stayed in the
hall, after Anitra McKinney's stirring lead performance, were clapping
with vigor showing their support of the America and the choir!

After
the concert, the Melbourne Univeristy choir treated the entire group
out to drinks in a local pub (that is what Australian's do - go to pubs
to socialize). The place for the exchange was a very upscale pub, with a
beautiful view. Although we were very tired, and we had to be the bus
by 7AM the next morning to leave for the states, virtually everyone at
least in the choir stayed to the lounge until at least 2AM. One reason
why the post-concert exchange was so entertaining was the fact that
there was a piano and open-mic in the room. The Morgan State University
Choir has never turned down an open mic!!! Choir member after choir
member with Chester Burke at the piano proceeded to share American music
with the crowd. At least 75 Melbourne choir members were in attendance
and embraced every musical offering that was shared, and stayed until
the very end. I almost felt like it was an episode of "America's Got
Talent". If you are interested, I am sure that many persons posted the
evening on YouTube - try Melbourne - Morgan State University Choir.